Charle Gamba began his career in the oil and gas sector as a geologist with Imperial Oil in Calgary, Canada in 1994.

With nearly two decades of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry, he held two top management positions, including vice-president of exploration at Occidental Oil and Gas in Bogota, before establishing Canacol Energy in 2008.

Colombia's receptive business environment and appetite for Canadian investment made the country an obvious choice for Gamba. "I wanted to build an exploration and production company in Colombia," he recalled.